Five new business owners join award-winning care franchise

In a month that’s already standing out as one for the history books, Caremark have yet more cause for celebration as five new business owners join the franchise family!

Michael Folkes, Christianah Akpojivi, Anita Bramley, Susannah Duek and Ahsan Sajjad will be opening the doors of their brand new offices throughout southern England. All five come from very different backgrounds, from sales and management roles in the Chemical and Property industries to careers in Social Care and Occupational Therapy. But they all have one thing in common: the desire to make a real difference to people’s lives coupled with a dream of business ownership.

Lynda Godding, Caremark’s National Training Manager, was only too proud of the newest team members: “It’s always such a pleasure to work with new franchisees and our latest group are no exception. Each one of them worked so hard to achieve outstanding results in their final assessments and I’ve no doubt they’ll apply the same dedication as they move forwards in their businesses.”

Caremark’s reputation as one of the UK’s leading home-care providers sees franchisees continue to thrive as they passionately support the elderly and the vulnerable in their local communities. New recruit, Michael, feels strongly about the challenges faced by those in need of quality care in Cheltenham and Tewkesbury. For him, the rewards are as much about personal pride and satisfaction as they are about the financials: “I’m thrilled to be starting a new journey in such a rewarding sector and I’m really looking forward to becoming fully immersed in my community. The opportunity to build a business that genuinely makes a difference is very special.”

The five new additions to this close-knit community follow hot-on-the-heels of award success! To the delight of all concerned, Caremark took home not one but two British Franchise Association (bfa) awards in July. A shining example of the drive and commitment within the network, Hannah Drury scooped Young Franchisee of the Year and ‘Overall Franchisee of the Year’ for 2017 at the franchise industry’s most prestigious national awards.

“I’m exceptionally proud to have been recognised in this way – the franchise has been by far the best opportunity for me. I’m incredibly passionate about my community and Caremark gives me a platform to put those thoughts and feelings into action. As a business, we’ve created 50 jobs for local people and we continue to grow and bring further opportunities to the community. The fact that I can do this whist being supported by head office really gives me the confidence to always strive for bigger and better things. What more can you ask for?”

Caremark franchisees are living proof that when strong business ambition is coupled with a genuine desire to help others, amazing things happen. Whether through personal experience or a simple desire to make a difference, more and more people are turning to the home-care sector for the chance to build a profitable and equally rewarding future. Perhaps it’s no surprise then that Septembers’ franchisee training courses are already filling up fast!

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About Caremark

Caremark is the UK's largest privately owned care franchise with a turnover of £65m. We are a leading home care provider with over 100 offices in the UK and Ireland. We support over 6000 customers and employ more than 5400 carers who deliver on average, over 96,000 hours of care, every single week, across the UK.

Established in 2005, we are proud to be a wholly UK owned and operated home care franchise which has an established and successful UK based network. 43% of Caremark franchisees are female, which is almost double the national franchising average. It's a figure we are really proud of. Not only that, but a large proportion of our management team are women, including our Managing Director, Finance Director, National Operations Manager and National Training Manager.

The UK has an ageing population which is estimated to grow some 58% in the next 20 years. As the demand for more complex and highly professional levels of care increases, we continue to provide a quality service to those in need of help and support. There is also a developing awareness that care at home can benefit not only those individuals in need but the hospitals and other organisations that are also responsible for looking after them.